Define Happy
by mindluver
Summary: Derek Morgan noticed something was different in the group dynamic. He decided to speak with JJ, who then decided to speak with Garcia. Blake noticed something was going on as well and spoke with Reid and Hotch. Rossi decided to get the group together get to bottom of it all. [Slash/One-shot/Some mild language and references to adult situations, but mostly fluff.]


**Finding Happy**

 _ **Summary:**_ Derek Morgan noticed something was different in the group dynamic. He decided to speak with JJ, who then decided to speak with Garcia. Blake noticed something was going on as well and spoke with Reid and Hotch. Rossi decided to get the group together get to bottom of it all. [Slash. One-shot. Some mild language and references to adult situations, but mostly fluff. I'm rating it 'T', but cautiously.]

 _[A/N: Hello! I had this one running around me gray matter and when I sat down to write it, it flowed like a gentle river. I cautiously rated it T because it's much milder than things I've written in the past. I hope you'll give it a shot.]_

.-.-.

Derek Morgan was very good at his job. That was why, when he was on the jet on the way back from Scottsdale for a case, he decided to talk with his friend and co-worker, Jennifer Jareau, regarding some of his recent observations in order to, perhaps, compare notes. He'd noticed JJ _noticing_ things as well.

He moved to the empty seat in the back next to where JJ was reading. It put him in the perfect position to observe Hotch and the rest of the BAU team. "Hey, I've got a question for you?" he asked quietly as he glanced around. Reid was asleep on one of the couches; Rossi was reading a book; and Alex Blake was playing a game on her tablet. No one was paying attention to the two of them in the back of the jet.

JJ looked at Morgan while she closed her book, giving him her undivided attention. "Sure. What's up? Finally gonna make a move on Garcia? Looking for some advice on how to make yourself seem more like a gentleman and less like a man-whore?" JJ teased.

Morgan chuckled. "Don't worry about me and Garcia. I wanted to talk to you about our fearless leader," Morgan baited, watching her face for any micro-expressions to indicate she was about to hide something from him. He saw none. She was as in-the-dark as him.

He saw JJ glance up and look at Hotch who was working on paperwork in one of the seats closer to the front. She looked back at Morgan with a puzzled expression. "What about him?"

Morgan glanced around again to ensure no one was paying them any attention. "He's acting weird lately. I've noticed him walking around with his phone, texting a lot of the time, and when he gets a call or text, he answers it right away. Usually, if he's engaged in a briefing with LEOs, he'll let it go until he's finished, but this time, he was in a meeting with the Chief of Police, and when it rang, he excused himself and told me to handle it. I watched him through the window and he was laughing and smiling while he was talking on the phone. When he disconnected the call, he looked out the window for a few minutes with a weird look on his face before he walked back into the meeting."

He could tell he had JJ's attention. "How long ago did you start noticing this? Now that you mention it, I saw him walk into the men's locker room one day about a month ago, and he was looking around like he was trying to be covert. It struck me as odd, but Garcia had picked up lunch from _Barkley's_ and I was starving after I worked out so I didn't hang around," she explained.

Morgan nodded. "I saw him doing the same thing one afternoon when he was leaving the office. He just kept looking around as he climbed into his Tahoe." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath replaying that day in his mind, asking himself the same questions he always asked witnesses during cognitive interviews when trying to bring memories to the forefront of their minds in order to jog details they may have repressed or thought insignificant.

"I was walking to my truck because I forgot my charger inside and my phone was nearly dead. I opened the passenger's side because I thought it might have fallen in the floorboard. When I raised back up to look out the front window, I saw Hotch get into his Tahoe. As he was rolling up the driver's window, I caught a glimpse…JJ, I think someone was already in the car. With the tint on his windows, there wasn't a reflection of light, but I thought I saw two heads in the cab when Hotch pulled out of his spot," Morgan remembered.

JJ giggled. "I think we've been doing this job too long. We're suspicious of everyone." She opened her book and shook her head as she began to read again, ignoring Morgan.

Maybe JJ wasn't buying his theory that something was up with Hotch, but that didn't mean he'd quit looking.

Alex Blake was last the last agent to get off the jet because she had to use the lavatory after landing. When she walked out and went back to her seat to gather her things, she saw Hotch folding the blanket that had been over Reid while he'd slept on the flight back from Arizona. She was bent over putting her things in her bag when she heard Reid giggling. It was uncommon, as far as she knew.

She glanced between the seats to see Hotch putting on his suit coat. "You should sleep at night instead of staying up until the wee hours and then depending on coffee to keep you awake the next day. That's not very healthy, Spencer. You're like a damn vampire," Hotch teased as he handed the young man his messenger bag from the overhead bin.

"Some people seem to like that quality in a man," she heard Reid respond with an uncharacteristic lilt in his voice as the two men laughed together while leaving the plane.

As she deplaned, Blake made her way to the small parking lot at the private airstrip and thought back two weeks prior when she'd seen Reid at the shooting range just as she was finishing.

 _Her annual certification was approaching, so she decided to get in some extra practice. She watched Reid enter one of the booths and close the door behind him. She stood for a minute to watch her younger colleague shoot so as to see if he was as good a shot as she, not that there was a competition, but being the newest agent in the BAU, she didn't want to be the worst shot._

 _She stayed until the alarm on her phone went off, and Reid hadn't fired one shot. She was about to knock on the door to check on the young man when a group of other agents came through, and Alex was approached by some of her former colleagues in Counter Terrorism. They all made plans to get together for drinks, and by the time they all broke up, the booth was empty and Reid was nowhere in sight._

The next morning when she showed up at the office, Alex noticed Reid's desk light was already on. She walked over to her desk and dropped her own briefcase before she picked up her mug to go fill it with her second cup of coffee of the morning.

She saw Reid in the kitchen when she walked in. He was smiling brightly and looking at the phone in his hands. When he giggled, she couldn't hold her tongue. "You seem awfully happy this morning. What gives?" she asked with a smile. The kid's change in mood over the last few months was refreshing.

Reid looked up with a look of shock on his face. "I'm sorry?"

Alex laughed. "You seem preoccupied and very happy about something. I was just curious if you wanted to share the reason behind your change of mood. I know you were upset when Emily left, and I chalked up your mood as having an aversion to change. We've known each other outside of the BAU, and I hoped maybe you'd accept I was going to be in your work environment and we could get to know each other outside of the academic circle in which we met. I was just trying to be friendly," Alex explained, seeing a flush of his cheeks before he nervously began stirring his coffee.

"I'm not sure what your insinuating regarding my acceptance of you into the structure of our working relationship, but we all made a deal a long time ago that we don't profile each other. I find you to be an asset to the team, based on your participation in the cases we've worked together. I know you to be a professional based on our interaction during joint speaking engagements. I hope we can achieve the same dynamic in our working relationship…mutual respect," Reid told her and quickly left the room.

Alex went to the refrigerator and pulled out the non-dairy creamer to lighten her coffee. She glanced out the blinds of the break room to see the light turn on in Hotch's office. When she glanced toward her and Reid's neighboring desks, she saw his chair was empty and he was nowhere in sight.

Alex decided she'd try to talk to Garcia or JJ, who both seemed to be quite friendly with Reid, to see if they had any advice to offer her regarding the young genius. It seemed he wasn't happy someone from his academic world had shown up in his work world. She was certain there was a way for the two of them to interact without the tension. They'd always gotten along in the past.

The week after the Scottsdale case, David Rossi was in the mood to have a dinner party. Alex Blake was new to the group, and he felt it was more than time to officially welcome her with an out-of-the-office event.

As he was walking to Aaron's office on Thursday morning, he knocked on the door and opened it before Aaron invited him in. He saw Aaron scrambling for a moment and he had a look of horror on his face. "Dave? What, um, what can I do for you?" the Unit Chief asked as he scooted himself further under his desk and checked his tie.

"I was just wondering if you're around this weekend? I was thinking of having a dinner party on Saturday night to welcome Alex. Just the group, and if you and JJ can't find babysitters, I can make something for the kids. I was thinking of making Cioppino. I can make spaghetti Bolognese for the kids…Henry, Jack, and Spencer," Rossi joked.

He observed Aaron jump a little before he smiled brightly. "I think that sounds great, Dave. Jack hasn't seen you in a while, and he loves playing with Henry. What can I bring?" Aaron asked as both of his hands disappeared under the desk in an odd fashion.

Rossi thought for a minute and smiled. "You can bring a guest, if you'd like. I've got everything else under control," he responded before he left the room. Something was up with his good friend, but Rossi knew Aaron would eventually come clean with him. They didn't keep secrets from each other because it interfered with their ability to do their jobs. There was no room for suspicious behavior within the group. There had to be trust.

JJ pulled Morgan aside on Friday morning before the planned dinner party at Rossi's house. "Okay, I've been watching Hotch because I've been thinking about what you said to me. Yesterday, he came into my office with a stack of cases I'd asked him to sign-off on so I could send them to records. He was in a really good mood and even picked up the picture I have of Henry in his Halloween costume when he dressed like Reid. Remember? We were going through the whole ' _monsters'_ issue last October? Anyway, he looked at the picture and laughed. He said, ' _He looked so cute dressed like Spencer. That was a great weekend.'_ That's weird."

"What's up, you two? You can't be up to anything good. Neither of you heard me come into the room," Garcia surmised.

Morgan looked at JJ. "We need her." The two turned to look at Garcia. "We need you to dump Hotch's phone," Morgan told her. JJ added, "It's not for a bad reason, okay?"

"Before I break the law and violate the privacy of our illustrious leader, I need a better reason than because the two of you have a hunch. I need details, my lovelies," Garcia whispered.

Ten minutes later, the three of them were in Garcia's lair, hunched over her computers. "Okay, the only number he receives consistent calls from is his home number and Bureau numbers. There's nothing else, you guys," she stated.

"Check for another phone in his name," they all heard from behind, shocked when they saw Rossi standing there. When he'd come into the room, none knew, but he didn't seem upset, so Garcia did as he suggested.

After several attempts at different searches, Garcia turned to her audience. "I'm sorry, my pretties, but there's nothing. I'd suggest we continue to run surveillance and reconvene next week," she offered with a bright smile.

Everyone nodded and left the tech analyst's office. When they reached the bullpen, they went their separate ways, each determined to get to the bottom of what was going on.

" _What are we going to do now? We almost got caught this morning. I have to thank the fates your desk is completely enclosed underneath. I think we need to stay away from each other for a while."_

Aaron Hotchner looked at his phone and nearly flew into a panic. Just as he was about to respond, there was a knock on his door. He placed the phone in his desk and checked his work Blackberry to see there weren't any missed texts.

"Come in," he called as he grabbed a pen and began reviewing the remaining files JJ had delivered to his office during lunch. He wanted to have a few moments to think about what a great lunch he'd had, but when Alex Blake walked in, he knew he needed to clear his thoughts. "Alex, what can I do for you?"

"Aaron, I've been with the BAU for sixty days, and I have thirty days left to make my decision regarding whether I should stay on permanently or tell you to begin interviewing, but I need to discuss something with you first," Alex told him.

Hotch pointed to the chair in front of his desk. When Alex took a seat, he pulled up his work demeanor and put his personal issues aside. "What can I do for you, Blake?"

"Sir, it's Reid. For one reason or another, he doesn't seem to be happy with me joining the Unit. I asked him about it this morning, and he got quite upset. I get the feeling he doesn't want me around," she told him. He could see the worry on her face, and he was trying not to show it on his own.

Hotch took a deep breath. "You and Sp…Reid had a relationship from your speaking engagements, correct? He was in favor of bringing you into the Unit when Prentiss left, Blake. I think maybe something might be going on that has nothing to do with you. I'd like your permission to discuss it with him."

He saw Alex looking uncomfortable, so he held up his hand. "Don't get upset. We all know Reid's less than thrilled with changes within the group. I'm sure he's just worried you won't stay. Let me speak with him before you make any permanent decisions, okay? You'll be at Rossi's tomorrow night, right? Maybe in a social situation, he'll be more relaxed and you two can clear the air," Hotch suggested.

Blake smiled and rose from the chair. "Thanks, Aaron. I appreciate it. We'll see how tomorrow night goes before I make any decisions. This group functions like a well-oiled machine, not to sound cliché. I'd never do anything to disrupt its functionality."

Without waiting for an answer she left his office, closing the door behind her. Hotch sat for a moment and thought about the best way to handle things. He opened his desk drawer and grabbed his phone. He could only handle one crisis at a time.

Morgan saw Blake exit Hotch's office, and the look of concern on her face got his attention. He wondered if maybe she'd noticed something was up with Hotch, but he didn't really know her well enough to quiz her regarding whether she'd noticed anything about the Unit Chief's odd behavior.

He looked around and saw Reid at his desk looking worried. He knew the kid well enough to know he'd have noticed anything going on in the group, so he walked over to his desk and ruffled the kid's hair until he looked up. "What?"

Morgan laughed. "You look like you need to talk. Let's go to the cafeteria and get some ice cream…or in your case, J-E-L-L-O," he teased in a sing-song voice.

He could see Reid was ready to protest, so he grabbed the man's arm and drug him out of the chair, which he pulled into the alley between the cubicles.

He pulled Reid behind him, laughing the whole way to the elevator. "Kid, you need to lighten the hell up. What's got you so worked up?" he asked, hoping to get Reid to voice his concern without having to lead him to the topic of concern…Hotch.

"Nothing," Reid answered, not elaborating.

"I call bullshit," Morgan returned.

When the elevator chimed, they both exited and went to the left toward the cafeteria which was still bustling. As they stood in line, Morgan turned to Reid. "What's wrong, Pretty Boy?"

"I told you…nothing. I'm busy preparing a _Journal_ article for the May issue. I suppose I've been focused on it since we got back from Scottsdale," Reid told him.

"Oh? What's it about?" Morgan asked as a formality. He knew the next words out of the kid's mouth would only confuse him, but he thought of Reid like a little brother, and he _did_ try to keep up with the kid's outside pursuits.

"The cognitive effects…" Reid began before Morgan tuned out the rest of it. He nodded as his friend gave him the rundown of the paper he was preparing. If Morgan understood half of the jargon spewing from his friend's mouth, he was sure it would be interesting, but he knew, based on spending time with Reid, the guy's mind went in ten directions at the same time. It was impressive, no doubt, but to lay people, it was confusing as hell.

After the pair worked their way through the cafeteria line, Reid continued to expound on the research he'd done regarding some sort of drug and its effects on people suffering from schizophrenia. Morgan knew Reid's mother had been diagnosed with the disorder, and he knew it was the kid's lifelong mission to try to give cause to why it happened. He also knew it was the young man's biggest fear he'd succumb as well, and in that moment, he was worried about his friend.

The two found a seat and as Morgan ate his butter pecan ice cream with caramel sauce, he watched his friend dig into red Jello. In so many ways, Reid was like a kid. It made Morgan smile.

"So, tell me what else is going on with you? Have you noticed something about Hotch that has you concerned?" Morgan asked.

He saw Reid look up with wide eyes. "H-Hotch? No! I mean, I haven't noticed anything. Everything worked when we were in Scottsdale, didn't it? N-nothing went wrong, did it?"

Morgan laughed. "No, Reid. Nothing's wrong. The last case went like clockwork. I'm talking about Hotch's demeanor lately. He's been _happy_ , and that's not like him," Morgan explained.

He saw his friend stop the spoon on its way to his mouth, the red glob quivering in time with Reid's shaking hand. "What do you mean, he's _happy?_ Has he not been happy previously? How do you measure _happy?_ Happy can be subjective, depending on the person. Who's to say who is happy and who isn't? It's impossible to measure quantitatively. Why do you say he's _happy?_ Define _happy."_

Morgan was actually sorry he'd brought up the subject at all. Only Reid would begin to quiz him with questions that seemed to border on existentialist doctrine. Morgan wasn't interested in philosophy, but he remembered Reid was pursuing a bachelor's in Philosophy, so he credited the rapid-fire response to his simple inquiry as the young man's attempt to secure fodder for future research.

When Reid came at Morgan with questions regarding things he didn't care about, he usually laughed and walked away. Apparently, he'd just walked into a Reid trap.

" _Whoa, kiddo!_ Pump ya brakes. Forget I said anything. You know, you need to start working out or something because you have a lot of nervous energy you need to work off," Morgan observed.

Morgan finished his ice cream and as he picked up his trash, he saw a bit of a smile on Reid's face. "Morgan, I get a lot of cardio. Don't worry about me," the kid told him. They went to the trash cans and then back up to the bullpen. They each went to their respective desks, and Morgan watched Reid reach into his drawer and pull out his phone, smiling at whatever was on the screen.

He simply laughed and went back to work. Whatever was going on with Hotch was over Reid's head. Morgan would have to count on JJ, Garcia, and Rossi for the intel. One way or another, they'd figure it out. They were the Bureau's best and brightest, after all.

Aaron Hotchner pulled his phone from his desk, seeing he hadn't received an answer from his last text. He'd called Jess and she was more than happy to keep Jack overnight. Things were a mess, and it was time to have _the_ discussion.

He parked his car in the parking lot of the Victorian style house wherein there were three small apartments, and he pressed the buzzer for Mrs. Deutchman. He knew it would do no good to ring the other buzzer because the rabbit was running.

"Hello?" the older woman called.

"Hi, Mrs. Deutchman. It's Aaron Hotchner. Can you let me in?" he asked.

He heard the buzzer, and when he opened the door and walked down the hallway toward the stairs, he saw the older woman standing in the hall with a smile and a pastry. "It's my strudel. It heals all ills. He likes my baking. He looked like someone kicked his puppy when he came in. Get up there and take care of him," she ordered, making Aaron smile. He was happy Mrs. Deutchman was there to keep watch when he wasn't.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Mrs. D. I'll take care of him."

He then made his way up the two flights of stairs and knocked on the door before using his key. When he got inside, he saw the love of his life pacing like crazy.

"This is bad. This is very bad," the man whispered frantically.

Aaron pulled him into his arms. "You are reading far too much into this, baby. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt we've taken every precaution. You do tend to be a bit paranoid," he reminded.

His lover pushed him away and looked at him with wild eyes. "I'm not paranoid, Aaron. They're on to us. We'll be found out, and then one of us will be fired."

Aaron pulled his lover into his arms once again. "You're wrong. The team won't care. We only have to stay under the radar with Strauss, and I don't think that's going to be hard. She doesn't pay attention to us when we're in the office. She only cares when we're on a high profile case. She's never in the field with us. We'll be fine," he reminded.

When the agent pulled away and looked at the floor, Aaron was worried. "Babe? It'll be okay, I promise."

"No, Aaron, it won't. It was fine when we were just playing around and nobody noticed, but now? They're all asking questions. I've seen them whispering to each other. Its going to be a mess," Hotch heard.

Aaron took a deep breath and thought about the best way to handle things. There was only one way. Honesty.

"We'll tell them tomorrow night. We'll come clean with the team, and everything will be fine. I promise you, this will work out," Aaron explained.

When his lover looked into his eyes, he leaned forward and kissed the man he loved…who he hadn't told…but he did love. "You know how much the team depends on each other. They are our extended family. They _will_ accept us," Aaron reassured as he picked up Dr. Spencer Reid, directing those long legs around his hips before he carried the man he loved down the hall and closed the door with his foot.

The next morning, Aaron opened his eyes and looked down to see the love-of-his-life in his arms. He leaned forward and kissed the messy brown head which rested on his chest. He thought about the night before, and he could only smile.

 _After Aaron shut the door with his foot, symbolically of course because Spencer lived alone, he dropped the younger man on the bed and climbed on top of him. "Hey, you don't need to worry about tomorrow night. Nobody is on to us. Nobody knows anything about us, and if you don't want them to know, then we won't tell them. It'll be fine, Spencer."_

" _Are you sure, Aaron? I don't want either of us to lose our jobs," Spencer whispered as Aaron undressed the two of them. They made love, and it was amazing, as it always was. When they fell asleep in each other's arms, it felt amazing._

Aaron slipped out from under his lover and hurried to the bathroom to relieve his bladder. He brushed his teeth and took a quick shower. He had stuff at Reid's house, just as Reid had stuff at his. Jack had accepted Spencer Reid's presence in their lives, which was the most important thing to Aaron. If the rest didn't accept them…tough!

When he hopped back into bed with Reid, he saw the man he loved sitting against the headboard with a cup of coffee in his hands and one on the nightstand. He offered it to Aaron after a quick kiss. "So, how are we going to handle this business tonight? I'd say I should stay home," Reid suggested.

Aaron placed his coffee cup on the table next to his 'side' of the bed and took the cup from Spencer, which was a challenge. After he pushed the younger man down on the bed and pulled him into his arms, Aaron looked into his eyes. "Baby, how long have we been doing this?"

"A while," Spencer answered as he glanced around his bedroom.

Aaron laughed. "Seriously, how long have we been doing this because I know you know the answer to the second."

Reid sighed. "Eleven months, thirteen days, eight hours, and twenty-or-so seconds. Why?"

"How do you feel about our relationship?" Aaron asked.

He could see the younger man choking on his tongue. "Okay, stop panicking. Are you comfortable with the two of us telling the rest of the team we're a couple?" Hotch asked.

He felt his younger lover take a deep breath. "Maybe. Why?"

"Because I don't want to wait too much longer to make sure everyone knows I love you and we're making a life together," Aaron responded as he moved himself between Spencer's legs.

 _They'd been tested over the time they'd been together, and they'd gone through their share of condoms in the beginning of the relationship. They kept things simple…hooking up when someone needed some love. They'd also dated others in the beginning…Hotch dating women and Reid dating men. One night when Aaron had a nightmare regarding the assault he'd endured from George Foyet, he called the only person on the team he thought could understand it because of something he'd been through as well. He'd called Spencer._

 _When Reid knocked on his front door, he let him in, and the two men went to Aaron's queen-sized bed, holding each other until the alarm went off the next morning. When Reid started out the front door, Hotch stopped him and handed him a key. "You're always invited, day or night," he told Reid as the younger man left his house._

 _Hotch stood on the porch and watched Reid on the driveway as he climbed into his car. They waved good-bye, and it was only the beginning. They tried to resist it, but it was futile. When they gave into the temptation, they couldn't stop._

"Until one of us loses a job, Aaron. I'm paying for my mother's care. You're supporting Jack. We can't afford for either of us to…" Reid protested. Aaron cut him off and pulled him closer, sealing their lips together. No need for discussion.

Several hours later after they'd spent the afternoon with Jack, they pulled into Rossi's driveway in Hotch's vehicle. They got out, and after Hotch helped Jack out of his booster, the three met at the front of the Tahoe.

Aaron pulled Spencer into his arms for a second and kissed him, hoping he'd relax. When the couple pulled apart, Aaron smiled. "I love you. You love me. We can handle this," he reassured him as the two men walked toward the large house with Jack holding both of their hands. It was time for the truth to come out, and see where the chips fell.

The doorbell rang, and when Rossi opened it, he was happy and relieved to see Spencer and Aaron holding Jack's hands. "Welcome friends. Come inside," he invited.

They were only waiting for Alex, who'd called to say her husband would be accompanying her. Rossi could see the set of Aaron's jaw to know the man was determined. He only smiled because he knew the next week in the office would be much less tense.

"Come on in. I'm waiting for the guest of honor to arrive so I can finish off the entrée, but I have appetizers and even stuff for this one," Rossi stated as he reached down and picked up Jack, tickling him a bit.

"Uncle Dave," Jack giggled, bringing a smile to the older agent's face. He looked up to see Hotch and Reid looking at each other with an expected look. They loved each other. That was all he wanted to see. He wanted to be sure his best friend wouldn't be hurt, and he'd seen it in that moment.

"Let's get you something to drink, Jack. You want red or white?" Rossi teased.

"Um, red or white what? He's clearly too young to drink wine, Rossi," he heard Reid spouting behind him. It made him laugh when he heard Aaron chuckling.

"Spencer, I think he means grape juice. Dave usually has both for the kids. How about you? Red or white?" Aaron had asked.

They went into the kitchen and greeted the guests. Garcia took Jack from Rossi's arms and carried him to the family room off the kitchen were Morgan was playing with Henry. Reid and Hotch greeted everyone and mingled, enjoying the appetizers on the island in the kitchen for a bit of time before the doorbell went off again.

"That should be Blake. Spencer, would you mind?" Rossi asked as he was adding clams and mussels to the pot.

When Reid nodded, Rossi went back to his dish and checked the water for the pasta. He had champagne on ice because he was pretty sure there would be a reason to toast. There was a tiramisu in the fridge he'd worked on most of the afternoon after he'd done his shopping, and he knew his guests were having a great time. That made for a great evening in David Rossi's world.

Aaron was impressed. Dave had set the coffee table in the family room for the shorter guests. The dining area was nearby so the parents could see the kids, and when he glanced at Henry and Jack eating cheese pizza and watching a cartoon, he let out a held breath. If the children were calm, the night would go a lot easier.

After the wine was poured and the salad was served, Aaron stood and tapped his knife against the glass of Pinot Grigio Dave had poured for him. There were several bottles of wine on the table, but much like Rossi was known to do, he had everyone's favorite.

When everyone looked Aaron's way, he smiled. "I realize we're in Rossi's home, but I wanted to stand up and be the leader I'm supposed to be. So, firstly, I'd like to welcome Alex Blake into the Unit. She's proven herself from the moment her feet hit the ground and we're lucky to have her," he stated before he turned to Alex and held up his glass. "Thank you, Agent Blake, for slipping into the role without a moment's notice. Emily Prentiss left a hole, but you've been able to fill it, and we all welcome you," Aaron offered as he held up his glass.

The rest of the Unit stood with him and held up their glasses. "To Alex!" The all touched glasses and drank, sitting down and digging into the meal with bright smiles.

After everyone had their fill of the wonderful meal, Aaron assisted Rossi with clearing the table and gathering the plates and forks to load the dishwasher. After clean-up was finished, they grabbed bowls and forks, along with the coffee and brandy for dessert. "So, are you ready to announce?" Dave asked.

Aaron laughed. "If you know everything, why do we have to fly all over the damn country to solve crimes?"

Rossi laughed. "You're deflecting because you're nervous. You don't owe us any explanations, Aaron. You don't have to say anything."

He saw Aaron look over into the sitting area of the large kitchen. The team was playing Scrabble, and Reid was laughing as he pointed to Morgan. "That face right there is what keeps me going. Jack and I love him, Dave. We can't lose him, and I don't want to hide anymore."

They carried the dessert into dining room and placed everything on the table. "Hey, can you take a break for a little home-made tiramisu? I have brandy and various spirits to brighten your coffee. We can pick up the scrabble game when the smarter profilers aren't busy doing dishes," Rossi teased. After everyone had a bowl and a drink, Dave looked at Aaron and spread his hand wide, indicating the man had the floor.

"Okay, um, I have one more thing to announce. As I'm sure most…or all…of you have put together, Spencer and I…" he began before he pulled the beautiful, blushing doctor from a couch to stand next to him.

"Spencer and I are dating. We're serious. I'm certain you've all profiled it, but we're coming clean. So? Any comments?" Hotch asked.

He watched Spencer's face as everyone in attendance smiled. He leaned forward and kissed the man he never thought he'd ever draw out of his shell, but when Spencer pulled him in for a kiss in front of the group, he wrapped his lover in his arms and held him tightly, barely hearing the clapping from the group.

When they pulled away, Jack tried to tackle the two of them. Reid picked him up and kissed his cheek. "This is my family. I've only really ever had my mom, but now I have all of you. I'm very lucky," Reid stated quietly.

Everyone around them applauded again. Hotch knew he'd made the right decision. He had a son and a partner and a good team, regardless of how nosey they were. He could count on them, and it made him happy. The love he shared with Spencer Reid and Jack was unmeasurable. It wasn't quantifiable. It was a feeling deep inside. In Aaron's opinion, the looks on the faces of the members of his family defined _happy._

 _THE END_

….

 _E/N: I hope you enjoyed it. It was a bit of fluffy fun, but I was in the mood for fluff! I hope to hear from you. Thank you for reading._


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